The Carnival has just taken its leave, or rather gone up in smoke, and once again the results are as expected for one of the flagship events of the Côte d’Azur. Denis Zanon talks to us about this 2013 edition as well as the 2014 one, which will have “Gastronomy” as its theme, a topic that closely concerns the Nice Tourist Office, of which he is the Director, which has recently taken over the management of the “Cuisine Nissarde” label initiated by the famous Capelina d’Or.
Nice Premium: Denis Zanon, a happy director after this 2013 Carnival?
Denis Zanon: Yes, happy that we were able to “deliver” it almost entirely, due to particularly challenging weather this year. Happy because the public appreciated the show, and the results continue to improve, proving that the Carnival remains a reliable asset of Nice’s cultural heritage.
NP: What should we take away from this 2013 edition?
DZ: The winter weather!.. But also the new features such as the “10 miles of Carnival” and its 2,700 costumed runners, the giant Zumba session, and the charity swim, as well as the floats with coordinated entertainment troupes, …
NP: An enticing theme for the 2014 Carnival festivities?
DZ: Gastronomy… It’s a theme that unites and opens up great possibilities for actions around the Carnival…
NP: So, the Tourist Office is resolutely turning towards gastronomy and cuisine?
DZ: Yes, it’s an important and differentiating element for Nice, which is the only city along with Lyon that has its own cuisine, meaning not regional cuisine, but one specific to the city’s history. Everything that differentiates us from our competitors is important, as it is the city’s identity and contributes to Nice’s tourist appeal.
NP: On that note, the Cuisine Nissarde label is now managed by the Nice Tourist Office. What will change?
DZ: Yes, absolutely, following up on the previous question, we will professionalize this label so that it endures and promotes traditional Niçois cuisine, allowing us to utilize it as a mark of quality for local gastronomy in the city’s tourism marketing.
NP: And the project to create a space dedicated to Niçoise Cuisine, is it still on the table?
DZ: Yes, although it’s very complicated, whenever we talk about real estate in Nice, it becomes complicated due to limited availability and high costs. Moreover, this type of structure requires installation in a symbolic location, a traditional neighborhood, complicating the matter further, but we are not giving up on finding a solution.
NP: Finally, what are the other significant projects of the Nice Côte d’Azur Tourist Office?
DZ: There are many, but in short, improving the overall quality of the destination in a very competitive environment, continuing the fundamental work on the destination’s image, and supporting all the metropolitan economic development policy, especially for leisure and business tourism…
